


Separated for Birth

by terma_archivist



Category: Once a Thief (TV), The X-Files
Genre: Crossover, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2000-07-01
Updated: 2000-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:54:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26536135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/terma_archivist/pseuds/terma_archivist
Summary: Note from alicettlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived atTER/MAand was moved to the AO3 as part of the Open Doors project in 2019. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are the creator and would like to claim this work, please contact me using the e-mail address onthe TER/MA collection profile.NOTES: This is the net debut of this long story, which was written just over two years ago now, for the fabulous Bernice and her Zine, 'Co-Horts 5'. It features Alex Krycek and Mac Ramsey. This is a totally AU story, which means I made up everything, from how long blood can be safely stored for, to the use of a 'truth serum' drug. It's just easier that way. NOTES II: I would like to thank Bernice for doing the edit/beta on this story. Her wisdom was and is, invaluable. Special thanks go to Ursula, Sarah and Lexi for reading this and providing feedback. You're the best! DEDICATION: For Sarah.... ""parting is such sweet sorrow."" Good luck in Fla. RATING: NC-17 for extremely disturbing content.
Relationships: Alex Krycek/Mac Ramsey
Collections: TER/MA





	Separated for Birth

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alicettlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [TER/MA](https://fanlore.org/wiki/TER/MA) and was moved to the AO3 as part of the Open Doors project in 2019. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are the creator and would like to claim this work, please contact me using the e-mail address on [the TER/MA collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/terma/profile).  
> NOTES: This is the net debut of this long story, which was written just over two years ago now, for the fabulous Bernice and her Zine, 'Co-Horts 5'. It features Alex Krycek and Mac Ramsey. This is a totally AU story, which means I made up everything, from how long blood can be safely stored for, to the use of a 'truth serum' drug. It's just easier that way. NOTES II: I would like to thank Bernice for doing the edit/beta on this story. Her wisdom was and is, invaluable. Special thanks go to Ursula, Sarah and Lexi for reading this and providing feedback. You're the best! DEDICATION: For Sarah.... ""parting is such sweet sorrow."" Good luck in Fla. RATING: NC-17 for extremely disturbing content.

Go to notes and disclaimers 

  
**Separated for Birth  
by Demi-X**

  
_We'll be the last people on earth,  
because we don't have a plan.   
We'll be the last people on earth,   
because we don't understand.   
'LAST PEOPLE ON EARTH'   
BY 54*40_

The Director snapped the beige file folder shut and threw it on her desk, the folder came to rest on the only available space left. She paced back and forth behind her desk a few times before growing bored and dropping herself down in the large black leather chair behind her desk. She reclined backwards, comfortable now, and let her thoughts explore the situation ahead. She had a job for Mac Ramsey, and Mac alone. The only problem with the young agent working alone was that he had a habit of losing sight of his intended objective; ultimately ending with fucking up what ever task it was that he should have been completing. That's why she preferred to send him out with Victor, at least she could count on Victor getting the job done. Mind you, these days it seemed like Mac and Victor were more of a comedy duo than an espionage team. The first time Mac had been sent out alone, he botched the job thoroughly and wound up being held against his will by an 18 year old crime mistress named Jackie Janczyk. He had only been able to talk his way out of it by _revealing_ his Hong Kong ties to the Tang family. His double-talking had back-fired and very nearly succeeded in not only getting himself killed but Victor too. 

Though, to be fair, Mac couldn't have predicted Victor being made by a Janczyk family goon. 

The Director had trusted Mac once again to venture out solo, and that situation concluded with Mac and Victor shooting their way out of diamond heist/hostage situation. _The Dominion bank caper_ , as it was later to be known, came about because Mac was not following orders and again, both agents had almost died. 

All in the name of a pretty girl and some good old fashioned fun. 

The short red-head picked up the file folder one more time and thumbed through the 8 x 10 black and white glossy photos. They were surveillance shots of a known Russian intelligence agent and what he was doing in this neck of the woods the Director didn't know, but she aimed to find out. By the time she had reached the end of the pictures she had her mind made up. 

_Mac it is then._

Victor couldn't do the job because he would immediately be 'made' by the subject. She would have preferred sending Li Ann out on this assignment as she was the best behaved of the lot; but unfortunately she was the wrong gender for this particular task. In the end she'd had no real choice—it had to be Mac by default. 

_Third time lucky?_

The Director could only hope so. Reaching for her telephone she pressed a button and spoke when the male voice answered, "Dobrinski? Get Mac on the phone and tell him to get in my office A.S.A.P." She hung up without saying goodbye, confident her orders would be carried out without question. 

* * *

When Mac pushed open the glass doors leading to the big office he had expected to see Victor and Li Ann sitting in the chairs as usual. He was a little concerned to see that he was alone. 

_Not good._

Mac hated being alone with the Director. She was always sending him signals that were full of sexual innuendo. Her behavior smacked of sexual harassment, but Mac had no rights—neither did the other two agents when it came to working for the agency. He had no choice but to accept her advances and be happy about it. The Director did not like any type of behavior that deviated from her and the agency's way of thinking. 

Individuality was not acceptable. 

Mac pulled out his customary chair at the end of the long table and plunked himself down, settling in and waiting for the Director to show herself. Luckily she appeared before he could grow bored—which in Mac's case was less than five minutes. He watched her make an entrance by way of the steep cement staircase that led to the mysterious upper floor. Mac, and Victor too, had no idea what was up at the top of the stair case. Li Ann had managed to make it to the top and all she would tell them was that she was in one of the Director's dressing rooms that held racks and racks of clothing, but that was it. Mac secretly thought or maybe even hoped that some hanky-panky might have taken place, but that was just a hunch as Li Ann was very tight lipped about the whole evening. Mac smiled to himself as he watched a pair of black high heels came into his view followed by a pair of slim ankles, then two black nylon clad legs. 

_Yes, the Director knows how to make an entrance._

"What are you grinning at?" The Director asked of Mac, acting as if she didn't know. 

"Nothing." He lied. Not wanting to give her the idea that he was even remotely interested in her. She was scary enough in the light of day. Mac sure didn't want another late night visit from the vinyl vixen. "What's up? Where's Vic and Li Ann? How come they're not here?" Mac cut in, distracting the Director from her original question. 

"They're not coming. I've assigned them and Jackie to a security detail in..." Mac grinned thinking she was going to say Greenland "..the Bahamas. There's a visiting Canadian Economic team there and with all the trouble going on overseas lately, the government thought it would be better to make sure nothing happened. You know, a drop of preventative medicine." The Director added nonchalantly. 

Mac immediately dropped the grin. "How come they get the Bahamas and I get stuck in Toronto? That stinks man!" Mac slouched in the chair crossed his arms in front, made a pouty face and showed it to the Director. 

_She hates me. That's it._

The director smiled at Mac much like she would at an over-indulged child. Casually she walked over towards Mac and leaned across the table, giving the slouched man a ring-side view of her ample breasts. "I sent them to the Bahamas because I didn't want Victor in town this weekend. And before you ask, I sent Jackie and Li Ann with him so that he would think this is a legitimate job. Well in a way it is, it just so happens that the request worked out with the agency's plans. Just so you know, Victor did question as to why you wouldn't be joining them. In fact he fought quite vigorously for you to be allowed come." The Director gave Mac a half smile, and continued on.. "He really wanted you to be able to enjoy the sun and surf etcetera... What a thoughtful partner." She purred before straightening up. She slowly prowled around the large table, "But when I threatened to make him stay in town too, he backed down." 

_Good old Victor. At least he gave it the college try._

Mac narrowed his eyes at the Director. "What's up then? Why is it so important that Victor get out of town?" He quizzed. She was making him nervous standing behind him. He didn't like to have his back to her; she was so unpredictable. 

Luckily the Director was only playing mind games. She made a full circle around the table and wound up back at her desk. She snaked a delicate arm over her desk top, found the right file and tossed it over so that it landed in front of Mac. 

The agent picked up the file and pulled out a photo. Looking towards the Director for an answer, "Victor?" he asked, confused. 

"No." The Director answered bluntly. "Mac say hello to Alexander Krycek. Alex to his friends." The picture Mac happened to be looking at was a particular favorite of the Director's, it was one depicting him feeding some ducks at the lagoon in the park. Krycek was unaware, of course, that he was being photographed and his natural good looks shone through. His face lost the 'hard edged' facade that was his norm. In this particular photo he was virtually undistinguishable from Victor Mansfield. 

"Mac, the information I am about to tell you, and what you will read in the file, is classified. That means you tell no one, got it?" She waited for Mac to nod his head 'yes' before continuing. "I wanted Victor out of town because Krycek is in town and I want to know why. He's a high level Russian Intelligence agent who managed at one point in his illustrious career to infiltrate the FBI, but then after a short stint he disappeared. Presumably to report back to Mother Russia" The Director spoke in her usual dry manner. "Just what he wanted from the FBI is unclear. But after pulling a vanishing act all this time, and having him pop up in Toronto of all places,... well you can see why we would be interested." 

Mac asked, "So why did you ship Victor off though? Don't you think he would want to meet this guy?" He thumbed through the rest of the photo's, amazed at the resemblance between Krycek and his partner. 

The Director rolled her eyes and slapped the photo's from Mac's hand down to the table top. Frustrated with the man's ignorance she snapped, "I _DON'T_ want Victor to know that this guy even exists, you moron! That's why I shipped him off to the Islands for a few days." 

Mac looked at the Director crossly and mumbled "All right, all right. What do you want me to do?" 

_I wonder why isn't Li Ann working this case?_

"We have the name of the hotel he's staying and the name of a nightclub he has been seen frequenting. I suggest checking out the club first before you toss his room." 

"What's the name of the club and the hotel? Shouldn't I at least have a girl on my arm if I'm going out clubbing? It would look kind of strange if I go in alone, don't you think?" 

The Director laughed at Mac "You don't need a date when the motel is the Elephant Graveyard, and the nightclub is Top Gears over in Boy's Town." She stared directly at Mac, challenging him to say something, anything. 

_Shit!_

"Great. He's staying in the worst dive and visiting the biggest gay bar in the city." Mac looked at his hands in his lap and stated sulkily, "No wonder you sent Li Ann and Jackie with Victor. No use for a woman in that kind of bar. Why are you still grinning at me?" 

"Because, Mac my dear boy, this assignment will be your biggest challenge yet. Your success or lack there of will depend on whether or not you can become another character and assimilate yourself into conditions that go against your natural grain. I want to see if you can make yourself be 'gay' to catch a killer. This job will tell me know what you're really made of. Now locate Krycek, find out why he's here and then report back to me." 

The Director started towards the staircase, but before she began her assent she turned back around and added "Oh yeah, use what ever methods necessary to get the information, but try getting invited into Krycek's motel room before you invade it. And you have two days to accomplish the task. Don't fuck it up this time or else. Hmm." Humming cheerily under her breath she turned back around and started up the cement stairs, leaving Mac alone to read the file that contained all the pertinent information the Agency had regarding Alex Krycek and his likes and dislikes. 

Mac picked up the papers and began to read. 

* * *

**The Elephant's Graveyard  
Room #316   
8:00 PM**

"Listen, Mulder, I know what's at stake here, get off my back. Yes I made sure they saw me. Shit, how could they miss me, I was all over town. I'm positive, they got plenty of photos of me. I'm not an amateur for Christ sakes, I did do this type of thing for a living before I hooked up with the Englishman man you know. With a little luck I won't have to find Mansfield, they'll send someone to me." Alex listened to Mulder's diatribe for another five minutes interjecting the odd 'I know' and 'yes' every now and again. 

Finally, rowing tired with being told how to do his job, Krycek rolled up his eyes and then said, "Look, as soon as I find out anything I'll phone you. One way or another I will find Victor and once I do, it's only a matter of time before I get a blood sample out of him. I gotta go now." Alex looked at his watch and noted the time, he had been listening to Mulder ramble on for half an hour. "Ya, ya, ya. I'll phone you as soon as I've made contact. Bye." 

Alex hung up his cell phone, relieved that he was no longer being lectured by Fox Mulder. Since the three of them, Mulder, himself and the Englishman, had joined forces Alex noticed that he was the one doing most of the grunt work. The other two sure liked to dole out the orders, they seemed to take it for granted that he would be the one to get his hands dirty. Alex didn't mind though; at least he knew what was going on. One of the down sides to working for the consortium was that they never told you more than they had to, and when they thought you were a liability they killed you. 

Good thing Alex was as smart, if not smarter, than them. 

His head had been on business all day, now it was time for some fun, hopefully the Agency would send an operative to the bar, a very attractive operative. Alex smile to himself then went into the bathroom to shower and get ready for the rest of the evening. 

* * *

**Top Gears Bar  
9:30 PM**

Mac had been sitting and deflecting offers of 'buy you a drink?' and 'wanna dance?' for almost 45 minutes. He was growing weary of the routine. If Krycek didn't show up in the next half hour then he was outta' here. This place was too much of a meat market for his liking. 

_Probably why he likes it, lot's of selection._

Mac thought could always use his fallback plan of breaking into Krycek's motel room to search it. The risk of getting caught was preferable to sitting in Top Gears getting hit on all night. He ordered his third beer of the evening and settled in for another 30 minute wait, determined to leave as planned. 

_The Director be damned!_

Very brave thoughts for a man with a sociopath for a boss. 

Another 15 minutes later, and yet another Corona with lime, and Mac was rewarded for his semi-patience by the appearance of Alex Krycek. He watched the other man as he walked through the dance club, the crowd on the dance floor resembling a nest of snakes, undulated to the pulsing music. Alex looked around as if he was searching for someone, his eyes skimming over Mac but not really making contact. Then seemingly not finding what he was seeking, he walked to the bar and sat down on the only empty seat at the bar four stools away from Mac and ordered a double shot of very expensive Russian vodka on the rocks. He looked to the left and right of himself, his glance rested on Mac long enough to smile at the him and tip his glass towards him in a silence toast. Then he turned his eyes front and centre and drank down the contents in one swallow. Without speaking a word to the bartender he raised his eyebrows and motioned the small tumbler forward, his request for another drink acknowledged. 

_Okaaaaay, it's now or never._ Thought Mac. 

He grabbed his beer and leaving the comfort of his own seat walked towards Alex. He pulled a 20 dollar bill out of his jeans pocket and folded in half and then in half again. He leaned close to the man sitting to the right of Krycek and putting his back towards the target, said to the drunk occupying the stool, "Do me a favor sunshine and fuck off." He handed the twenty to the sour faced older man who mumbled back, 'Fuck you too' as he took the bill and stuffed it into his pocket, vacating his seat. Mac plopped himself down on the stool. 

_Christ he and Vic look like identical twins, what's going on?_

Mac turned to Krycek and asked casually, "How are ya doing?" 

"Fine, now that you're here and the loser who's seat you took is gone." Alex said. He raised one sable eyebrow and with a quick wink, he took another drink from his glass. 

_Bingo, one Agency operative 'made'. At least he's good looking._

Mac smiling back finished off his corona, then he ordered another round for the two of them. "What's your name?" 

"Alex. Yours?" 

"Mac." The beefy bartender whose arm muscles looked like they had been blown up with a bicycle pump deposited another round on the counter and then stood in front of them expectantly, waiting for some sort of a payment. 

Alex started to reach into the back pocket of his jeans but Mac put his hand out to stop him and said: "Let me, if you don't mind." 

Not one to stand on too much ceremony and secretly impressed that Mac no doubt intended using up his whole budget for the evening, Alex replied amicably "Be my guest." Adding a cryptic "I'm easy." As Mac was handing the bill to the bartender. 

Mac snapped his head to look at Alex when he heard the comment. He smiled casually and picked up his beer. He very slowly, very seductively put the clear glass bottle to his lips and drank. 

So began the first steps in the long drawn out game of discovering each other. Mac, of course, had no idea that Alex knew who he was, or that Krycek had been trying to attract the attention of the Agency intentionally. As far as Mac knew _he_ was the one doing the investigating, trying to ingratiate himself into getting an invite back to Krycek's motel room so he could check the place out, should the opportunity arise. 

Mac could not get over how much Victor and Alex looked alike, right down to the same shade of green eyes, with the exception that Alex had small nicks and scars on his face that Victor did not. But the likeness was startling, not to mention unsettling and Mac felt a familiar pull in his groin toward the Russian agent. For once glad to be out on assignment alone, and even happier that his target was in a gay bar. 

_The Director did say to use any methods necessary after all._

Krycek sat seemingly absorbed in what his new 'acquaintance' was saying. In actuality, he was wondering what lengths this agent was willing to go to find out what he was really up too. Alex smiled at the subterfuge and nodded his head as if he was buying the bogus story Mac was feeding him about being a kung-fu instructor for under-privileged kids at the local rec centre. 

After about an hour and a half of talking and getting to know one another, Alex, feeling his alcohol and growing tired of the game, not to mention being horny, swallowed up the last of his vodka and boldly asked a very drunk Mac, "So how 'bout it? Want to come back to my place?" 

"Yeah shure." Mac drawled. "What the hell." The agent stood up, shook off the unbalanced feeling, and followed Krycek out of the bar. He didn't know what would happen once they got back to the motel room, but at this point Mac was not adverse to a little between the sheets hanky panky with the look-a-like of his very stoic, very heterosexual partner. 

* * *

**Alex Krycek's Motel Room  
12:00 am**

Once inside the room, Mac had a quick look around and discovered that the decor in the entire dung heap of a motel must be the same; early dump reminiscent of decrepit boarding house. Having been forced to stay in the very same motel on an earlier assignment, Mac couldn't understand why any one would willingly sleep in such a pit. 

Alex locked the door behind himself after he had entered, and without pre-amble stepped into the tiny bathroom to take a piss before he even removed his coat, calling out from the small room to his already drunk guest, "Want another beer?" 

"Okay," answered Mac, unsure if he would even be able to drink it. He had seven beers under his belt already and beer was not his usual drink of choice, it was more something Victor would choose. He had originally ordered beer thinking that they would go down slower than his favorite mixed drink; Long Island ice tea. But now here he was, inside his mark's motel room and he was too drunk to accomplish much. 

_Maybe if I just shut my eyes for a second the room will quit spinning._

Mac sat on a well used couch and leaned his head back, closing his eyes tight to shut out the glaring light and spinning room. He was asleep before Krycek could wash his hands. 

Not noticing immediately, Alex went into the kitchenette that was so small it could almost fit into a phone booth and opened the small bar fridge, pulling out two Canadian brand beers. He twisted the top off of his and brought Mac's out to him unopened, "Hope this is okay." 

Alex looked at the sleeping man in amazement. Mac's mouth was open slightly and he was snoring softly. Apparently he hadn't been joking when he'd commented on the cab ride to the motel that he was on the verge of passing out. Alex laughed lightly and shook his head. He took a drink from his beer and then put both of them down on the small coffee table. 

"It's just like taking candy from a baby," the seasoned agent muttered to himself as he very carefully patted down the oblivious man in search of his wallet. Alex felt the tell-tale lump in Mac's back pocket, so very gently, he pulled Mac over so that he was resting on his side, the pocket holding the wallet was now easily accessible. But before Alex stole the wallet he removed his own jacket, tossing it carelessly on the end of the lone bed, and removed his artificial arm. The humidity in Toronto was making it ache more than usual, or so he supposed. Alex briefly rubbed the circulation back into his shoulder, took another swallow of his cold beer before he reached over and deftly plucked the small square of black leather from the prone man's pocket. 

As Mac slept a dreamless alcohol induced sleep, Alex was very carefully dissecting and discerning all he could from his wallet. He noted the credit cards and even memorized Mac's MasterCard number. 

_Just in case, you never know._

When he came to the section of the billfold that held photos, Alex took great care in studying all the faces in them; flipping the clear plastic that contained the pictures efficiently with only one hand to aid him. He stopped and studied the very last photo closely. It was a picture of Mac, Victor and Li Ann. He already knew their faces, he had been studying Victor Mansfield for years. Alex rubbed his thumb over his look-a-like's face. 

He already knew everything there was to know about Victor. 

Alex knew he worked, who he worked with, his partners, former lovers, family and what limited friends he had. Alex had known who Mac Ramsey was the second his eyes passed over him when he entered the bar. That's why he chose a gay bar to hang out in this time—he thought the girl was pretty but it was Mac who caught his eye. How could he resist tall, dark and thin, and very Mulder-ish in the looks department. 

Besides, being attracted to Victor himself was just too freakish, even for him. Laughing softly, Alex lifted a 20 dollar bill before putting back Mac's wallet. 

_Old habits die hard._ Thought Alex as he leaned down and kissed Mac full on the lips. To his complete surprise the previously unresisting mouth began to kiss back then a pair of strong arms encircled Alex and held him tight, so that he was laying on top of Mac being held down. 

_What the hell, why not?_

Alex shook his shoulders slightly so that Mac would loosen the bear hug hold that he had on him. Mac took the silent hint and eased up on Alex, both men continued kissing, though Mac did not speak or even open his eyes. 

After almost falling off of the small couch for the second time, Alex spoke softly, directly into Mac's ear, "Come on, wild man. Let's move to the bed." He stood up and pulled on Mac's left hand with his right. 

Mac protested and opened his eyes slightly, he raised his head at Krycek's urges then after a second let it fall back to the couch cushion with a soft 'thump'. "Fuck, I'm drunker than I thought. I must be hallucinating, it looks like you only have one arm." 

Krycek laughed "That's because I do only have one arm. You're not squeamish are you?" He challenged. 

"Well, in that case, if I'm not hallucinating then that must mean I'm at least sober enough to fool around." Mac replied optimistically, not put off at all that Alex only had one arm. 

_No mention of that in Krycek's dossier, guess I better update the Director's file._

He was glad that there was a visible difference between Alex and Victor, he didn't feel quite so guilty about what he was going to do now, grateful now that at least he wouldn't confuse the two and accidentally call out Victor's name instead. Mac stood up shakily and took the few quick steps between the couch and the bed. Once there he flopped back down and rolled over on his back. He squeezed his eyes shut, and made the room even darker by covering his eyes with the backs of his hands. "Oh god, the room is spinning." he groaned. He sat up, reluctantly opening his eyes, saw Alex standing in front of him grinning "What?" 

"Are you going to be okay? I wouldn't want to take advantage of a drunk man who didn't know what he was doing." Joked Alex, though he was serious about wanting to know if Mac was okay. 

"Let's take our clothes off and we'll see how it goes from there." Replied Mac. 

Alex didn't answer, instead he made sure that he had the younger man's full attention—what he could get of it—and began to slowly undress. 

Mac watched, his eyes glued to Alex's body as he slowly revealed his hidden flesh layer by layer. First Alex took off his shirt, then his jeans, undoing them button by button. Socks and runners followed suit, then there he was; left only in his black cotton boxer shorts that clung so snugly, they left very little to Mac's imagination. 

Alex kept his eyes on Mac, watching him as the younger man stared back at him. When he was done stripping, he walked over to Mac who was perched on the end of the bed, and leaned down to kiss him. Alex sucked on the drunken agent's tongue lightly and drew it into his mouth, smiling secretly at the small sounds of pleasure his lover was purring. 

Mac, in return, ran his hands up and down Alex's bare back and over his firm buttocks. 

Breaking away Alex looked at Mac, "Your turn." He pushed his hand through Mac's dark hair, using his fingers to massage his scalp lightly, hoping it would help with the effects of the alcohol. 

"You do a pretty sexy striptease for a one armed guy." Quipped Mac, who had begun to remove his own clothing with a lot less fan-fare than what Alex had used. Once he was down to his underwear, he scooted to the top of the bed and lay down flat on his back, intoning "Ahhh," when his head found a soft pillow. Holding his hand outstretched to Alex he asked, "You going to join me?" 

"Ohhh yeah, I just need to get some _stuff_ first" They both knew what Alex had meant. Going through his duffel bag, Alex's hand rested briefly on the gun that he had hidden in the depths of the bag, pleased that this was not the weapon he would be using tonight. He had however, another gun stashed between the box spring and the mattress and one in the drawer, both located on his preferred side of the bed. He had been smart not to wear a gun on his body tonight, lucky too, that Mac hadn't noticed that he also had an automatic hidden in the right pocket of his jacket for the whole evening. In his line of work it was better to be armed to the teeth than to have them shot out by one of his numerous enemies. He had noticed that Mac had come unarmed tonight. Alex knew that Ramsey held black-belts in many of the martial art disciplines—and assumed that he probably didn't need a gun to protect himself in most cases. Either way, the events of the evening hadn't been complicated by firearms. Alex found what he was looking for and stood up, declaring triumphantly, "Found them." 

"Good thing too, cause I'm fading fast. Get into bed quick." Urged Mac. The room wasn't spinning anymore but he did have a painful headache and he was very tired. Not so tired that he wouldn't be able to make love with Alex, but it was going to be a close call. 

"Get over to the other side of the bed." Requested Alex, and at Mac's puzzled look, he explained further "It's just that if I have to reach left, well you know..."He trailed off. 

And Mac did understand, so he shoved over to the left side of the bed. Rolling over so that he faced Alex. Mac wrapped his arms around Alex and pulled him into another tight bear-hug and kiss. "Do you mind if we turn off the light? My head is killing me." 

Alex leaned back and turned off the light. A gap in the middle of the window where the curtains should have met let in just enough brightness from the light of the full moon to enable each man to see the other. Kissing again this time more slowly, Mac ran his finger tips up Alex's back and down again, each time his movements becoming bolder so that after while he casually let his hands slip beneath the waist band of Alex's boxers, his hands cupping the soft flesh hidden beneath them. 

Alex rolled so that he lay on top of Mac, who increased the pressure he used while he was squeezing the man's ass. Each time the grip became firmer, Alex would moan quietly and rub his groin against Mac's. Alex broke the kiss first. Panting heavily into the younger man's face, he asked, "Do you mind if I explore you a little bit more?" 

"Hell no, discover away." Cracked Mac. He was no longer disconcerted at the similarities of Victor and Alex, but was getting off on the fact that they did look so much alike. The sexual encounter with Alex, was every secret fantasy that he had ever harbored. The Director was doing him a favor by sending him in alone to do the spy job. Mac knew he would never forget this night, no matter how drunk he was. No doubt there would be many women and even a few men in his future, but there would always only be one Alex Krycek. Mac smiled at the possibilities and then at the fact that Alex was busy sucking on a very sensitive nipple while pinching the other. 

_Having only one arm does not interfere with his lovemaking skills at all!_

Alex released Mac's newly sore nipple and allowed himself to be pushed towards the object that his lover obviously wanted Alex to pay more attention too; namely his very hard cock. Running his tongue over the stretched cotton Alex smiled at Mac's encouraging mutters. 

_He really wants me in his shorts all right._

Alex sat up, telling Mac softly to "Shhh," as he reached to the night stand and grabbed one of the unlubricated Trojans. He set it beside his right hand as laid back down between Mac's thighs. Alex picked up where he left off; to the extreme pleasure of his partner. He pulled off Mac's underwear using his teeth and his hand, flinging the garment off somewhere to his right, and then began to kiss and nibble Mac's abdomen all over. He ran his tongue inside of the hair rimmed navel, then worked his way down to the squirming man's sensitive inner thighs, gently biting the soft flesh there. Mac was growing more aroused by the second, Alex could tell that he was trying to be silent and on the whole he was doing very well, but he could hear the occasional soft mutters of "Oh yeah" and "Ohh." Most of the words ran in the same vein. Deciding that he had teased long enough, Alex quickly sucked into his warm mouth, one then the other egg-shaped testes in Mac's sack, sending the squirming agent into a litany of "Oh-my-god!" and other assorted religious phrases. Alex got up to his knees and felt around until he found the condom, putting a corner in his mouth to hold the small foil packet he ripped open the package. Spitting out the top bit towards the waste bin he voiced huskily to Mac whom he could just make out in the moonlight "Watch this." 

Mac's erection jumped at the sound of Alex's voice, its gravelly huskiness was so similar to Victor's it was hard to believe that it had not come from the same man. Blindfolded Mac was sure he wouldn't be able to pick out who was who. He opened up his eyes and watched Alex as he was requested to do. 

Alex asked "You ready for this?" 

"Hell yes!" Confirmed Mac as he stretched briefly. 

"Great, then be a good boy..." Alex ran his the tips of his fingers through the dark hairs that covered Mac's well defined chest "...and put your arms underneath your head and watch me, but don't touch me." He put the unwrapped condom in his lips, and with a quick mischievous wink that Mac could just see in the pale light, Alex pushed the condom down over Mac's cock in one swift, deep lunge, without even gagging. If Alex Krycek only knew one thing; it was how to give a great blow job. 

"Oh yeah, Alex. Where did you learn to do that?" Murmured Mac, not expecting an answer considering the person of which he asked the question was presently busy deep throating him. Mac desperately wanted to touch Alex, to wrap his fingers around that short brown hair and tug gently, to feel the strong muscles in Alex's shoulders. But he had been told to watch, not to touch. 

The younger man briefly wondered why he couldn't touch but he lost that particular thought when he felt Alex's tongue run firmly over the underside of his latex covered cock. The condom was just slightly on this side of too small for Mac, he and Alex were the close to the same size in that area, near as Mac could tell any ways. No doubt the condom was deliberately chosen for its smaller size. The condom hugged his penis just a little bit tighter than normal, giving him extra sensory pleasure beyond anything he ever felt from a blow job before. The firm grip Alex had on him, combined with the vacuum like suction he was providing proved to be too much for the younger man. He groaned, thrashed and mumbled incoherent words, and when he released his load he did so with such a force that Mac thought he might have sent it into the reservoir tip and out through to the other side. His whole body had stretched and stiffed at orgasm, but now he lay back into the bed, relaxed and melting into the sheets like butter over a cob of corn. 

"Mmmm. That was awesome, Alex. I think my headache's gone. Can I move my arms now?" Laughed Mac lightly. 

Alex removed the rubber from Mac's semi-flaccid penis. "Sure, go ahead." He expertly tied a knot in the end with the help of his teeth and then tossed the used condom into the small waste basket. Smiling to himself when he heard the small 'plop' on impact, he crawled up the bed and fell into Mac's waiting arms. 

Mac pulled him tightly onto his chest and kissed the top of Alex's head. He could smell coconut shampoo in his hair even though they had been in a smoky nightclub. Wanting to return the pleasure that Alex had given him, Mac flipped over so that Alex was laying pinned beneath the slightly taller Mac. "My turn," He teased. Then he began his own exploration of a body that was so similar to the one he had been wanting to get close to for the longest time. Just the sight and touch of Alex's body gave Mac another erection, barely five minutes after having the strongest orgasm he had ever experienced in his life. 

Alex stretched with pleasure, drawing his already flat abdomen even tighter. Mac skimmed his lips over the taut flesh of the man's stomach, sticking his tongue into the small deep belly button, he was a little surprised and extremely pleased to feel very little hair around it. Mac licked his way back up from navel to nipple, taking the time to nip and nibble on Alex's tight brown nubs. He ran his tongue between the two brown discs commenting absently, "I love your smooth chest." He ran his palm over Alex's chest feeling what little hair there was. "Russians must not be a hairy race of people." 

Alex smiled up at the ceiling, knowing full well that he had not told Mac that he was Russian. Mac didn't even realize that if Alex had not already known who he was, that comment alone would have given him away. "No, we're not." Agreed Alex who used his right arm to guide Mac's head back down towards his abdomen, wordlessly telling Mac what he desired. 

Mac nibbled and sucked at the muscles that protruded out from Alex's perfect six pack of an abdomen or what little bits of flesh he could get into his mouth at any rate. "Do you want me to use a condom?" Whispered Mac to Alex's navel between licks. 

"Yeah. And I want to watch you while you suck me off too." Replied the Russian lewdly. He pulled his body away from Mac, grabbing both pillows he propped them up against the head board and leaned back against them to cushion his back. Alex looked like he was getting ready to read a chapter from his favorite novel. 

Mac grinned, pleased that Alex had changed positions. This way Mac could see more of Alex's face because of the moonlight. He raised himself to his knees and grabbed another condom package, "Well I won't be able to even come close to what you did, but I guess I can try eh?" He grinned while in the process of opening the foil wrapper. 

"It doesn't matter, what ever you do I'll like." Answered Alex hoarsely. 

Mac discarded the wrapper in the general direction that Alex had tossed his garbage and said to the propped up man, "Oh yeah. You can touch me. In fact please do..." Mac pointedly stared at Alex wide-eyed for a second. Giving him a smile he pushed the condom down using his fist then followed through with his mouth. He didn't quite have Alex's skill level, but the recipient didn't seem to be complaining. 

What he was doing was sitting there with his legs spread wide apart and watching Mac like a hawk. After a few minutes Alex relaxed his posture somewhat by leaning into the pillows. He reached out and roughly ran his fingers through Mac's short hair, then he slowly took over and set the rhythm he wanted Mac to follow. Mac sped up his ministrations, and with-in a few minutes of that he had Alex groaning while he pushed Mac's head down further. Mac increased his suction as much as he could without choking himself, pleasuring his lover even more by using his hand and his mouth simultaneously. 

Alex grabbed a hand full of Mac's hair and pulled, not enough to really hurt the man but it signaled to Mac that Alex was about to come. Alex pushed Mac's head down and thrust his hips up, and let himself go. 

Mac was surprised—Alex had come in total silence. He could tell that his lover had enjoyed the blow job; after all it only taken him a little over 3 minutes to cum, and he'd had been drinking fairly heavily too, not quite as much as he had, but enough. Mac guessed that he was just one of those people that didn't vocalize during sex. Mac had been noisy and jumpy whereas Alex had lain still and was silent throughout. "Did you like that?" Pondered the agent out loud after he had cleaned up Alex in the same manner as Alex had done for him. 

"Oh Christ yeah. That was great, you were great. I haven't had a good cum in ages." Alex pulled Mac up to his chest dragging the covers with him and wrapped his strong arm around him, squeezing him tight. "I'm just not a screamer is all." Alex leaned his head down and kissed Mac deeply their tongues meeting each other. 

"How come you didn't want me to touch you when you were blowing me?" Asked Mac, the darkness making it easier to ask such personal questions. 

Alex answered sleepily, stifling a yawn, "Because I wanted you to enjoy it as much as possible. I don't know why but usually it makes you have better orgasm when you can just lie there and enjoy the _blow_ without having to think about reciprocating." 

Not thinking twice about the lie he had just told. 

"No arguments from me on that one. Roll over please, I can't fall asleep on my back." ordered Mac. Alex obeyed without complaint; the late night, the drinking and the sex had caught up with him too. 

He rolled onto his right side and Mac snuggled in tight behind him, both men like two spoons in a drawer. 

Mac laid his left arm over Alex and pulled him close, and realized that not even once during their fellatio session did the thought about Alex having only had one arm disturb him. But now together in bed, he felt the empty space where Alex's arm should have been. Kissing the back of the other man's neck Mac murmured good night to the short hairs there. Kind of sad that the symmetry of an otherwise perfect man should be marred in such a manner. 

Alex only made a "Mmmm" sound and then was asleep, feeling good about having someone in bed with him for a change. 

* * *

Krycek rolled over quietly and opened his right eye a crack, he had woken up a minute or so earlier to sounds of Mac rifling through his duffel bag. He listened for a second then rolled over. Through the small slit in his lid he saw Mac glance back quickly toward him, then, confident that Alex had not woken up, he turned around to go back to what he was doing. Alex watched him for a second, inwardly smiling. He knew Mac, too, had a job to do. And his bosses would expect answers at some point today. That was how the game was played, Alex had done the very same thing himself often enough. He intentionally groaned and made a small noise, warning his lover that he was about to wake. When he finally did open both eyes, there was Mac, seemingly caught in the act of putting on his pants. 

"You going?" Alex asked feigning sleepiness. 

"Sorry to wake you, but I have to get home and... feed my cat." Lied the young agent. 

"You mind if I don't get up?" 

"No stay in bed, it's still early. Want to have dinner tonight?" Invited Mac casually. "You pick the food." 

"I don't care what we eat, just as long as it's not any type of Asian cuisine." Replied Alex, remembering how much he hated the food he had to eat while hiding out in Hong Kong. 

_Well he's got the same taste buds as Victor when it comes to take out._

"How about Greek then? I know a great little place." Alex nodded in agreement and Mac asked, "You want me to pick you up?" 

"Sure, I'll be out all day, so meet me here around 6:30?" Alex couldn't believe how easy he was making it for Mac. Knowing that the agent didn't find a single incriminating thing in his stuff with the exception of a gun; Mac would have to come back. Which was okay because Alex really was the one baiting the trap, what he really needed to know was the where-a-bouts of Victor Mansfield. And by the end of the evening tonight, Alex was confident that he would know the answer to that question. He had the advantage of knowing what Mac was up to, Mac on the other hand didn't know a thing as to the real why's and wherefore's that Alex was in town. And now there was no doubt in Krycek's mind that Mac had been put on his trail to find that out. 

Mac's question drew Alex out of his reverie, "What are you up today?" 

"Oh, I'm looking at some property for some overseas investors group. I'm their front man." Alex pulled the pillow out from under the back of his head and flipped over to his stomach, propping the pillow under his cheek he watched as Mac finished dressing. The blankets had slipped to his waist and Mac got another great view of Alex, this time of his back. 

Walking over to his lover, Mac gave the prone man a lengthy kiss, "Okay, see you here at 6:30 then. It's a date." He quipped with raised eyebrows before opening up the door and quietly shutting it behind himself. 

* * *

**The Agency  
1:00 pm**

"You what?!" Demanded the Director angrily. 

"I said, I never found out a single thing as to why Alex Krycek is in town. I ran into him at the bar, managed to get myself invited back to his _place_ for a beer, when I had the chance I turned his stuff inside and out, the best I could come up with was a hidden Luger, no surprise there. But that's it. Nothing else, zip, zilch, nada..." Mac would have continued on with the descriptive adjectives for nothing, but the Director interrupted him. 

"Well, he is a pro after all. But didn't you find anything?" She asked disbelievingly; unwilling to believe that her agent hadn't found out anything at all. 

"I did the best I could, but I wasn't there that long." Mac called upon a lifetime of thievery in order for him to lie effectively and directly to the Director's face. He didn't want his boss to find out that he had spent the night with the man, willingly. Not once did he think about doing what he had been sent in to do, besides snooping through the Russian agent's things. And at that, it was only the next morning when he awoke for an early morning piss did he remember to check out the lone bag in the decrepit motel room. To deflect any suspicions the Director might have, Mac added rather cheerily, "I did ask him out to dinner tonight though. I'm supposed to meet him at his motel room around 6:30." 

The Director smiled for the first time during the short informal briefing, "Good, that's a start. I have an experimental drug that the _good_ but _demented_ Dr. Frye has cooked up for the Agency..." 

Mac groaned at the mention of Dr. Frye, "More like Dr. Frankenstein..." Only half joking. 

The Director reached into her desk drawer and came up with a small bottle, and kept right on talking as if Mac had never interrupted, "Dr. Frye has brewed up a new recipe for a very powerful hybrid truth serum. It is 100 times more potent than the traditional sodium pentothal and with a lot less of the usual side effects associated with the old drug." She tossed the small brown bottle to Mac, it contained about ten cc. of clear liquid. As Mac examined the bottle the Director spoke on, "Put four drops of this stuff in anything Krycek drinks, wait 15 or 20 minutes and WHAM!" The Director slapped the back of one hand into the palm of the other for emphasis,"...He's putty in your hands. Krycek will be compelled to answer your questions, all of them truthfully and then he'll simply go to sleep on you. No fuss no muss." 

"Won't he be able to tell from his drink that I've slipped him a Mickey Finn?" Asked Mac, skeptical of the drugs usefulness. He didn't feel right about drugging the older man. 

"That's the best part, the drug is colourless and odourless. It has the ability to take on the characteristics of what ever liquid you put it in." 

The Director caught the look of doubt on Mac's face, "Ohh, What's the matter Ramsey?" She cooed. "You don't have moral objections to drugging the enemy do you? Because you had better believe me when I say that Alex Krycek is a cold blooded killer who wouldn't hesitate in putting a gun to your temple and pulling the trigger if he felt he needed to." Then she added more seriously, "So slip him the drugs, ask the important questions and then clear the fuck out of there before he comes to his senses and reaches down your throat and pulls your heart out." The Director sensed that Mac had not truly grasped the serious nature of the mission. "Alex Krycek is a very dangerous man. And obviously losing an arm has not slowed him down one bit." 

Mac had a hard time placing the good looking face of Alex Krycek with the description of being a 'cold blooded killer'. He had, of course, read the man's dossier`, but sometimes the authors of such documents tended to exaggerate the facts. Mac knew that he would do as he had been instructed, of course, he just felt wrong about doing it. 

"All right, already, I get the picture. I'll slip him the _juice_ as ordered then get my ass out of there. Anything specific you want me to ask him?" 

The Director knew she was on shaky ground now, she didn't want Mac to find out all of the truth that there was to know about the Alex Krycek—Victor Mansfield story. "No." she snapped frustrated. "Just find out why he's here and then get out, no dicking around." 

Mac sensed the Director's edginess, so he decided that he had better leave under his own power while he still could. Pocketing the potion, Mac slipped on his sunglasses, "I'll check in the minute I know something." 

Without waiting for anything further from his boss Mac turned around and left the Director's private office. He was suspicious—the Director wanted Mac to find out some information, but she seemed really vague about how much information he should be seeking from the Russian agent. 

Deciding he couldn't answer any questions until tonight, Mac walked down the long hall and out the doors, stepping into the dull gray afternoon; perversely pleased to be seeing the double agent again—good guy or bad guy. Mac had enjoyed what he shared with Alex; with him, Mac could do everything he had ever fantasized about doing with Victor. 

* * *

**The Elephant's Graveyard  
12:30 am**

Alex unlocked the door to his room and pushed the it open, "Care to come in and join me for a night cap?" With a sweeping gesture of his arm he let his companion pass through the threshold to the dingy accommodations first. "I gotta pee something fierce! Make your self at home." Alex said with urgency. After carefully locking the main door behind himself Alex walked swiftly to the small bathroom and shut the door with-out locking it. 

"Got any beer?" Mac asked loudly. 

"In the fridge, help yourself." Came the slightly muffled reply. 

"You want one?" Offered Mac, and when Krycek answered 'yes' Mac saw his window of opportunity open and he took it. He pulled two beers out of the small bar refrigerator, twisted the top of off only one of the bottles and set both of them down on the counter. Fumbling nervously in his jeans pocket for the drops that Dr. Frye had made, Mac pulled them out and quickly unscrewed the top of the small vial, careful to let only four drops of the liquid fall into the beer. He screwed the cap back on to the bottle and pushed it back into the depths of his front pocket. Mac swirled the beer around gently and then waited for Alex to come out of the bathroom, waiting, in order to get the timing right. He heard the toilet flush and the whine of a tap being turned on. 

_Careful, almost time._

Alex exited the lavatory and rounded the corner to the kitchen just in time to see Mac hoist the already opened bottle of beer to his lips. 

Mac grinned at the other man then gallantly passed the opened bottle to Alex. 

Alex smiled back and took the man's offering. 

Mac, nervous, picked up the closed bottle of beer and twisted the cap off, flinging the small aluminum disk into the trash can next to the stove. He took a large drink and followed Alex to the small beat-up couch. Sitting down he anxiously waited for the drops to take effect. 

Just as predicted, after only about 15 minutes of idle conversational flirting, Mac could see that Alex was having problems enunciating his words. 

Five minutes after that Alex felt his tongue go numb, followed closely by his whole body. Then the pins and needles started, and those he felt everywhere, even in his scalp. Within a few seconds of the annoying pins and needles, Alex slumped backwards against the couch, as if he no longer had any bones in his body to hold him up. 

The almost empty beer that he had been holding tight within his fist became slack and his grip upon it became loose. Alex narrowed his eyes as best as he was able too and looked from the brown bottle back to Mac. 

"Mac?" he questioned simply, knowing full well that the agent had managed to somehow slip him some sort of a drug. 

_Mulder is not going to like this one bit!_

Alex groaned audibly, "What did you give me?" He asked the guilty faced man next to him. 

Mac answered Alex truthfully. "A new hybrid truth serum that a mad scientist who works for my agency cooked up." He felt that since Alex had no choice but to be truthful with him, the least he could do was be as honest as he could with him in return. "Can you get up and run away?" Mac asked, shifting his position from the couch to the battered coffee table, so that he was sitting in front of and across from the incapacitated Russian. He wondered if Alex needed to be restrained. But judging from the way his head was slightly lolling side to side, Mac thought it unlikely. 

"No I..." Alex hesitated, he did not want to answer Mac but he was compelled to, he could not stop him self from talking "...I feel like I have no spine and I can't move anything but my head." Alex found he had some control over his neck muscles, albeit limited, he used what little control he did have. Alex quit moving his head from side to side and looked directly into Mac's eyes, he saw no violence or malice in the dark brown depths. At least he knew that Mac would not kill him afterwards. "Why did you drug me?" 

"Because I'm an operative for a secret agency and my bosses knew you were in town and they sent me in to find out why." Mac took a deep breath, "Now I'm done answering your questions, Alex. You'll have to answer mine and the sooner we get it over with the better it will be." Mac licked his lips and started right away into the questioning. 

All business now, his guilt about drugging a man he liked very much had been shoved aside, he would deal with that at a later date. Mac pulled out a small tape recorder and turned it on, setting the machine down he began. 

"How come you're here in town?" starting with the most obvious question first. 

"I was sent by two men to find Victor Mansfield." Krycek swallowed deeply, suddenly very thirsty. 

"What men? What are their names and what do they do?" 

"One's name is Fox Mulder and he's an FBI agent. The other man who sent me, I don't know his real name. I refer to him as The Englishman. He works for a covert organization that Mulder and I call the Consortium." Alex couldn't believe that he was telling Mac everything. 

He was helpless to stop the drug or Mac from doing their jobs. 

"How do you know Victor and why are you looking for him? Are you planning to kill him?" Mac suddenly became worried for Victor's life, knowing Alex's professional history like he did. 

"Victor Mansfield is my brother." Alex stated bluntly. "I'm looking for him because I need a sample of his blood. And no, I could never hurt Victor... ever, he's too important to the cause." Alex looked to Mac and saw non-comprehension of everything he had just said all over the other man's face. 

"How...?" Stumbled Mac. He took a deep breath and started again, "How can Victor be your brother? Why exactly do you need his blood?" Mac scratched his head and leaned forward, closer to Alex waiting to hear the answer. 

Alex didn't want to tell Mac, the answer to that question was a very painful memory. 

"Victor and I are brothers, we are two of a set of quadruplet boys. Engineered in a Russian lab long before the first test tube babies came along or were even thought of. An ovum was taken from a highly skilled female KGB agent whose name was never written down and the same goes for the sperm donor, he too was a top agent who's name was never recorded. Our mother is a petrie dish and our father is a very tiny eye-dropper," Alex said sarcastically. "A scientist created us in order to do a long term experiment, but to keep the test pure he had to have identical test subjects. So he created Victor, Nicholin, Mikhail and myself, Alexander. It seems, that the _good_ scientist was experimenting not only with genetics but he also dabbled in anthropology. He wanted to find out if there was a correlation to how a human being lives in his early life to the person he grows up to be. You know, the genetics vs. environment type of thing? He wanted to see how we would turn out when we grew up. So we were all given the exact same start in life. Genetically we were perfect. Disease free, our bodies held no imperfections whatsoever." Alex briefly glanced at his missing left arm, a small look of regret on his face. 

"Brown haired, green-eyed, 6'1" and all around 180.lbs, give or take a few kilo's. All four of us identical, all four of us flawless in every way." Alex hmmphed ironically then licked his lips again wishing he had some water. 

Mac saw Alex's discomfort and went to the kitchen to pour the parched man some water. Not knowing if the water would somehow dilute the drugs coursing through Alex's blood stream, Mac tipped the glass for the man and only let him have a small drink. Later, he thought, when they were done, Mac would give him more. "Tell me about you boys. How come Victor has never said anything about having brothers to me?" Mac was more confused than ever, he knew that Alex was telling him the truth, you could see it in the way he fought every word coming out of his mouth. It was obvious that he did not want Mac to know the things that he was telling him. Alex was clearly distressed at being forced to reveal his secrets. 

"A surrogate mother carried us to full term. She had no choice in the matter, then after she had fulfilled her purpose the scientists had her killed to keep their secrets. All four of us were declared healthy, given names, then shipped off to different parts of the world, in order for us to begin the experiment. The scientist named us so he would know which baby was sent where and with whom. Mikhail was sent to the West Coast of Canada. He was given one set of 'ideal' parents, but due to unforeseen circumstances, Mikhail's data never went beyond the age of 12 years." Alex looked directly into Mac's brown eyes. "You see, Mac, Mikhail and his parents were killed instantly when a drunk driver hit their car." Alex swallowed hard, he wondered when this damn drug would wear off. 

"Victor was also sent to Canada, the East Coast, and he too was given a set of 'ideal' parents. Mikhail and Victor were to be raised in so called good conditions, except that the carefully screened parents that the scientists chosen for Victor didn't turn out to be so great. Victor's father developed a drinking problem that escalated into extreme physical abuse against his boy. His mother, instead of defending Victor, let her only son take the brunt of the man's wrath in order to spare herself and their younger, natural, daughter the pain of beatings. Beatings, meted out by a man who saw in his only son, nothing but flaws. Victor ran away when he was sixteen, and the scientists secret organization lost all contact with him at that point. Victor has no idea that he has brothers, no idea at all." Alex inhaled deeply and kept on talking. "Nicholin was sent to an orphanage in Krasnoyarsk, where he was adopted out to a farmer and his barren wife. When he was 15 he drowned in a boating accident. Nico was adopted out to people who were supposedly less than perfect; he was to have been raised in harsh, rigid conditions, but when I read the data on him; it looked like he was happy with his adoptive family. It seems the scientist grossly miscalculated in what he thought to be _idyllic_ and _less than perfect conditions_ " Alex stopped speaking and looked away, as much as he really wanted to avoid the topic of himself, he knew Mac would ask him about how he grew up, and if he had his choice in the matter no one would ever know the personal hell he'd lived through; ever. 

He had proven the scientist right though, Alex's violent upbringing had for a quite a time turned him into a vicious and uncaring person, his soul blackened by years of abuse which came in all shapes and forms. His morals rather than being black or white were gray and if the purpose suited him he could kill with ease or fall in love on command. Alex Krycek knew too many truths about his and other's lives. Alex desperately wanted to change how he was living presently, and in order to redeem himself as an individual, he had made a pact with the devil to save not only his self but the whole human race. The Russian wanted nothing more than to protect the life his only surviving brother: a brother who had no inkling that Alex or two other identical dead boys existed or ever had existed. Alex Krycek only desired two things in his life: one; he wanted to change the world—along with its pre-ordained history, and two; he wanted to protect those he loved. Alex could literally count on one hand the people he loved. Victor Mansfield was one of those people, and though he had never even met the man, Alex felt a love and a kinship that only a twin, triplet, or any multiple for that matter, could feel for their sibling. 

He had felt it all his lonely miserable life. 

As a young child, while living in the orphanage, he had heard the head master of his orphanage talking to a man. At the time, he didn't know that the man was the scientist who had created him and his three brothers. But as Alex sat there listening to the whole conversation, not meant for anyone else's ears, he found out the whole ugly truth about the three other little boys, who were just like him. He listened as the 'man' asked about _Alexander_ , and how he was doing. The 'man' commented on how the other boys were doing and then he left. When the head master went to walk the anonymous visitor out, Alex snuck in to his office and found a file sitting on the top of his desk, it had his name on it. As young as he was, Alex realized the importance of what he had over-heard. He reached out and quickly flipped through his own file, seeing individual photo's of Victor, Mikhail, and Nicholin as well as the name of the scientists who had designed them and the centre where they were created and birthed. So began a life time career of spying and subterfuge. As a child, and knowing that somewhere out there in the dark and scary unknown world there were other boys who were just like him, Alex's life path had already been chosen. Someday he knew, he would find his brothers. He often wondered if they were living in misery like he was, or if they had been lucky enough to have happy lives. Alex didn't know a lot, but one thing he did know for sure, he wouldn't always be a helpless boy. One day he would grow up to be a man, and he would find the ones responsible for stealing not only his brothers away from him but his entire childhood. 

Someone evil had determined that Alex Krycek's soul would be stained charcoal; and that person, or those people, would pay for the sins committed against him. 

Now that he was an adult Alex realized that he knew too much. He hated that he had been the one to be caught by another agent, that he was the one to be betraying not only Mulder but also The Englishman by revealing all that was contained inside of his head. 

One single drop of wetness broke away from the corner of Alex's eye and made its way down his prominent cheek bone, and, as much as he wanted to wipe the offending display of emotion away; his body was powerless to fulfill that wish. 

Mac reached forward and delicately wiped the tear away with two fingers. He broke Alex's silent revelry by asking curiously, "What about you? Where were you sent? How did you live?" Mac had no idea that Alex had told no one about his early life...Ever. 

Alex's lips formed a thin line, he was fighting the drugs with all that he had, but it was of no use; he began reciting his dark, sad tale. 

"I was sent to a Russian orphanage in Moscow. Where I had food and a roof over my head, but beyond that, nothing. No Love. No friends. We were educated in the three R's, and even were allowed to participate in sports. But there was no personal warmth, all the adults who worked there were indifferent, they did not get attached to the children. I was adopted out at the age of twelve, to a brothel that dealt exclusively with boys." 

Alex looked up at Mac, the pain of his hard lived life showed in the depths of his vulnerable green eyes. 

"When I lived in the orphanage sometimes I was beaten and sometimes I went hungry because an older boy stole my food, there were no such thing as seconds. I was so young then, so naive. Somehow I thought that when I had been sold to the brothel that at least they would look after me better, which they did, but not by much. I ate only two meals a day and when the customers felt like it they beat me. If I complained about the treatment from the johns, then I was punished afterwards by the master of the house. None of the boys had a say in what happened to them, we were property; mere chattel to used and abused on a whim. Please Mac, I need another drink of water." Alex asked, feeling a little sleepy now. 

Mac picked up the water and brought the glass to Alex's lips, he held the back of the man's head for him, Alex drank deeply. Mac put the glass down and said encouragingly, "Go on." 

"After five miserable years of servitude in the brothel, a man came to visit the master of the house. All of us boys were lined up outside in the courtyard and this man, he looked like a general to me, but I couldn't be sure, walked past each and every one of us slowly like he was examining us. He stopped in front of me and looked me over, up and down, head to toe. I was the tallest boy there; my growth had started to come to me two years earlier and I was more firmly built than the rest. Unfortunately the general thought I was the prettiest one as well. The man turned to our master and said to him while he pointed at me 'This one will do very nicely'. And that was it, the general took me to my room upstairs and fucked me, hard. He was intentionally hurting me, I thought at the time that he was trying to kill me during sex. He choked me to the point where I was beginning to black out. Then for some reason I can't explain, I snapped and started fighting him. He easily deflected my attempts to defend myself though. He was in the end pleased, I think, that I had fought him. When he was done fucking me all he said to me was to 'Pack your things, you're leaving'. Three Hours later I found myself on the way to Kazakhstan. And when I got to where we were going, I realized that I was not moving to another brothel but to a military compound where they drilled, beat, and brainwashed the last vestiges of anything that was sweet and moral right out of me. The Commanders at the compound taught me to murder, lie and cheat. I am a practiced professional at all three Mac." 

Alex's mouth opened wide and he yawned, feeling the urge to rest with greater urgency. 

But Mac was not finished with his questions. "Do you need another sip of water?" The concerned agent asked. 

"No, I just want to go to sleep," Alex yawned again. 

"Soon, Alex, I promise. I'm almost done." Mac decided that he had better get on with the questioning before Alex could no longer keep himself awake. Satisfied with Alex's answers about how he and Victor were brothers, Mac decided to change the topic and go back to a question he had already asked but had not received an answer for, "How come you need Victor's blood?" 

Alex blinked fighting the truth to the question, "In a few years all that you know will be gone, if my partners and I cannot find another cure for the impending plague that an alien race is planning on releasing into the general population. It will wipe out most of man kind as we know it. You, Victor, every one that we love will be gone." 

Mac detected a hint of sadness in the Russian's voice. 

Alex spoke on, "A few years ago I was infected and taken over bodily by an alien that took on a distinctive oil form. It used my body in order to enable it to return to its ship, where my black-lunged boss at the time left me to die in an abandoned missile silo. The being altered my blood somehow when it occupied my body. Now, in order to find another cure for the plague I need to get to Victor and take a sample of his blood. All four of us were exactly the same from our shoe size to our blood type," Alex answered honestly. 

"His blood is pure, while mine is tainted. You see the same mad scientist that created us boys is also the same doctor who came up with the antidote for the plague, too bad that in a fit of rage, when I found out that he was the one responsible for my life, I murdered him. I did manage however to steal one vial of the antidote along with an infected boy and stow away on a Russian freighter on its way to New York City. Unfortunately things did not go quite as I had planned and now here I am, trying to find another way to save the human race and telling you everything that I shouldn't." Alex managed to hold his head straight and said calmly to Mac, "He'll kill me when he finds out I told you everything." 

"Who? Who will kill you Alex? The FBI agent?" Mac had never thought about what might happen to Alex after wards. He silently cursed the Director, she had no regard for anyone else's life but her own. And as crazy and outlandish as it all sounded, Mac knew that Alex was telling the truth, and the possibility of how the future was going to end up frightened him, beyond any fear he had ever felt before. The thought of not only himself, but of Victor and Li Ann dying from the plague was a terrifying thought, itself. "How will having Victor's blood help you?" Mac forced aside thoughts of impending doom. 

"By comparing our blood samples against each other, maybe some one at the Consortium can come up with a cure." Alex swallowed hard, wanting to rid himself of his incredible thirst. "The Englishman will kill me, and Mulder won't even know it. I will just vanish off the face of the earth and Mulder will think that I've just pulled another one of my disappearing acts. No one will even look for me." The Russian was just a little sad for the thought that no one would notice when he died. 

Mac knew that he shouldn't ask the next couple of questions, that it wasn't fair to Alex, but as ever Mac was unable to stop himself. "Is the reason why you didn't want me to touch you when you were giving me a blow job, because of your experiences in the brothel?" 

"Yes." Alex answered simply. 

Mac's stomach sunk, he felt terrible that the best blow job he had ever received was learned at such an early age and in such a despicable manner. He had noticed that whenever Alex talked about the FBI agent Mulder his expression changed slightly, his firmly set lips loosened and the tightness around his unsmiling eyes softened just a touch, "Do you have a 'thing' for this Mulder? What does he look like?" Mac didn't dare ask about himself, he was afraid of what the answers would be. It was enough for him to think that on the previous night both men had enjoyed themselves. 

Alex was becoming very sleepy now, his head swayed slightly and the drugs forced him to give a reply to a question he had hoped never to answer aloud, to anyone, "You shit. How dare you ask me that. It's none of your business," raged Alex even though his voice remained even and low, "Yes, damn you, I have a 'thing' for Fox Mulder, I always have and I always will. He does not reciprocate the attraction though. Fox Mulder is tall, slim, dark haired and extremely handsome, just like you." Alex's voice trailed off as he slumped down even farther onto the thread-bare couch cushions from exhaustion. 

Mac was taken by surprise by Alex's last comment. 

_So Alex did enjoy being with me at least._

He looked at Alex and realized that it would only be a matter of time before the drugged man fell asleep, Mac made up his mind and said to him. "I'll help you, Alex, I promise." 

Alex blinked sleepily at Mac and said a quiet "Okay." Before falling asleep. 

Mac sighed heavily, he didn't want to die without a fight, that was his main reason for helping Alex and the other two men, but also, he felt bad about 'suckering' Alex with the last few questions. Mac had an idea and if it panned out then they would be able to obtain a blood sample from Victor with a lot less hassle than Alex even realized. Smiling, he stood pulled Alex over so he was lying down on the couch, and covered him up with the bed spread. Mac figured that he would return tomorrow first thing to tell Alex his plan. With one last glance of longing at the sleeping Alex Krycek, Mac walked out of the cheap motel room. 

* * *

**Mac's Apartment  
4:00 am**

Mac tossed and turned in his bed. He had fallen into a fitful sleep with visions of the world ending and all those that he had loved, ending with it. He rolled over restlessly. When he felt the mattress depress beside him, he woke instantly and reached for his gun only to be stopped by the sound of Alex Krycek's voice. 

"Grab the piece and I'll blow more holes in you than a slice of Swiss cheese, you son of a bitch!" 

He spoke just above a whisper and the venom in his voice told Mac that the man he thought to be too 'boyish' to be a murderer was indeed capable of such activity. 

So Mac did as he was instructed and lay still waiting for Alex to make the next move. 

"Now, I hold the 'truth serum'." The triple agent emphasized his point by pushing his Luger into the center of Mac's forehead, making a small red mark. Alex had maneuvered himself so that he was straddling Mac's hips, his jean covered ass sitting right on top of Mac's midnight erection, which was fading fast. 

Mac was prone; on his back with his arms stretched out and the blanket pulled down to his waist. 

"It's not quite as sophisticated as yours, but when you're in a bind any old thing will do. And now, Mac, you'll answer some questions for me, if you please." He sat up straighter and shifted his gun's aim from Mac's forehead to the nervous man's ribs. The Russian pursed his lips, smiled evilly down at his captive and then asked his first question. "Sooo, Mac," Alex said, "You jumped my bones without any hesitation, do you have a thing for my brother, Victor?" Alex, no longer grinning, pushed the gun a little harder into Mac's ribs, reminding the agent that he should answer truthfully. 

"Ok, I admit it, drugging you was a shitty thing to do. I didn't want to, but if you knew my boss..." Mac stopped talking when he heard the distinctive sound of Alex's gun cocking. 

"I believe..." drawled Alex, "...I asked you a personal question. We'll get to the drugging me part in a little while, now answer me!" 

A small bead of sweat broke away from Mac's hairline and rolled down his temple. 

"Yes," said Mac quietly, then a little more louder, "Yes, I have a _thing_ for Victor. But like you and Mulder, he doesn't know it either. He's strictly hetro all the way. He's held a certain fascination for me for a long time. I'm bisexual, but I haven't been with a man for years. My superior assigned me to find out why you were in town, and when we 'met' in the bar, I just couldn't resist you." Mac swallowed hard, he hoped he would be able to talk himself out of this mess before the situation became even more charged. 

Alex smiled down at Mac, his mind mulling over the possible things he could ask Mac, he didn't need to ask about his mission, he already knew that, eventually though, he would need to find out where Victor was stashed. But even that too could wait, first he wanted to exact a little revenge on Mac for forcing him to dredge up the painful memories of a childhood best forgotten by all, especially by the one who had to live through it. Alex knew that Mac had been a street kid in Hong Kong, he would start there, "Tell me how you grew up? What was your childhood like? Happy? Sad? Hmm..." 

Mac looked into Alex's eyes, he knew that he deserved everything that was coming to him. So swallowing hard he answered Krycek truthfully, "I was in born Hong Kong, my mother died when I was eight years old. For a long time it was just me and my father. He wasn't the greatest dad, but he certainly wasn't the worst one either. He always meant well, but I don't think teaching your child to lie, cheat, steal, pick locks and crack safes is the best thing for a young mind. I was small when I was young, so he used me for second story jobs, crawling through tiny openings was my specialty back then. But after awhile, my father grew lonely for female companionship, so he started going out more and more, and coming home later and later. Eventually he ended up staying out all night, then all weekend. Until one day he didn't come home at all. I stole a newspaper and saw that he had been arrested for robbing the jewelry from one of the ladies he was escorting around Hong Kong. That was it, I was on my own. He never even sent the Children's Protection Agency to our little apartment or anything. He _forgot_ to mention to the authorities that he had a twelve year old son who needed looking after." Mac blinked a few times, memories of a father who had failed him, the scabs of the old wounds ripped open again. 

Alex kept his gun where it was, aimed and poking into Mac's ribs, but he had uncocked it, having no intention of actually shooting Mac any way. 

But Mac was so engrossed in telling his tale, he didn't even realize it. 

"At the end of the month, the rent was due and I couldn't pay it, so I packed everything I could into a duffel bag, and hit the streets. I pawned what stuff Dad and I had managed to accumulate and lived by my wits. Sometimes when I couldn't steal enough stuff to sell for money, I would go to the red light district and down there I would give hand jobs for ten or fifteen bucks, depending on whether or not a ship was in port. That was a quick way for me to make money, but I only resorted to that when I had too. Then one day I spotted this well dressed Asian man and his body-guards. He was shopping, and every now and again he would point at something, and one body guard would pull out a wallet and give some money to another, who would then go and buy whatever it was the man wanted. I followed them around for a while and when I saw the opportunity arise I took it. The guard with the fat wallet was distracted by a beautiful woman walking by, so I accidentally bumped into him, picked his pocket clean and took off before he knew what was going on." 

Mac smiled at the thought. "Two days later, the guard tracked me down, beat the shit out of me and then took me to Mr. Tang's penthouse. He was the well dressed man that I had seen. Turns out, Mr. Tang was the biggest crime boss in the whole Asian Pacific Rim. Fortunately, Mr. Tang liked my 'balls' as he put it and adopted me into the family. I was only fourteen then, and eventually, a few years later he adopted me as his own son. I never wanted for anything material again, but eventually I grew tired of a life of crime and my partner Li Ann and I broke away from the family. We've had prices on our heads ever since, even though Mr. Tang and his son are no longer alive." Mac brought his hand up to his forehead and wiped at the wetness there, "Anything else you want to know?" he asked calmly. 

"Yeah," replied Alex evenly, betraying no emotion, but secretly glad that Mac's childhood was not as ugly as his. Ugly, early on yes, but at least Mac was given a second chance in life before he discovered that he could no longer change, like Alex. 

"Where's Victor, I need to find him so I can get a blood sample. It's vital that I have it." 

Mac licked his lips, and to Alex, he looked nervous about something. "What is it? What's wrong?" Alex was afraid that something had happened to his brother. 

"You're not going to like this," Mac answered matter of fact. 

"What?" questioned Alex. 

"He's out of town on a case with the two other members of our team." Mac gave a small smile up to Alex, suddenly afraid that he would shoot him when he heard the rest. "My boss, the Director, sent him out of town when surveillance photos of you showed up on her desk. He's in the Bahamas and very unreachable." 

Alex pulled the gun away from Mac's ribs and hung his head forward, feeling defeated, "Shit!" He didn't think that they would have shipped Victor off so quickly. Alex looked at Mac, who was making no motion to get out from underneath him, though he was no longer being held at gun point. "Now what am I going to do? Where is he in the Bahamas? What town? What hotel?" Alex was busy making plans already, thinking that he was going to have to go to the islands to find Victor now. 

"Well," started Mac. " if you promise not to shoot me for drugging you up, I think I might just have a plan that doesn't require having Victor in town at all." 

Alex opened his eyes up wide, interested in what Mac had to say. He climbed off of Mac and sat on the foot of the bed, saying, "I won't shoot you. Although I should for spiking my beer. What's the name of the stuff you game me anyway?" 

Mac sat up and flicked on his bedside light, "I don't think it has a name yet. It's in my pants pocket." 

Alex leaned down and picked up Mac's pants and found the small vial of liquid in the front pocket, he examined it for a second then shoved the tiny glass cylinder in his own front pocket. If Mac saw him do it he never said anything about it. 

Mac was busy putting on a pair of light gray sweat pants, "Listen Alex, I really am sorry about what I did last night." He turned to Alex, who turned to look at him, "I've got a great plan, but you have to trust me. Can you do that after what I did?" 

Alex studied Mac's face, he could see guilt and remorse written all over his handsome features. Alex could tell when people were lying to him, a life time had taught him that particular skill, he could see that Mac really did regret his actions. Alex however, knew that if the shoe were one the other foot, he wouldn't have felt guilty, but then he was raised to be deceitful. Alex got up and walked over to where Mac was standing, in the dim light he looked like a lost puppy dog. He stood in front of Mac and with a devilish smile playing about his lips, reached out with his hand and cupped the back of Mac's head. He pulled the agent to him and gently rubbed his lips across Mac's. 

Mac immediately responded to the soft kiss, pressing his full lips back. He opened his mouth up and slowly pushed the tip of his tongue into Alex's mouth, exploring his teeth and tongue. Re-familiarizing himself all over again with the taste and feel of his most recent lover's mouth. 

After a few minutes of kissing, Alex finally broke away and said still breathing heavily, "Let's get the work over with then we can play. Okay?" 

Mac nodded, Alex's statement made sense, even though he wanted nothing more than too shove the man backwards on his bed and fuck the daylights out of him. 

_Control Ramsey, Control._

Mac reminded himself. "Right." He agreed. "Good idea." Mac pulled on a T-shirt and still breathing heavily, indicated that Alex should follow him out of the bedroom. He kept on talking, "Okay, well four days ago both Victor and I gave blood at the agency's infirmary." 

They reached the kitchen and Mac flicked on a light. He started to make coffee and went on to explain further, "You see my agency has it's own hospital and every two months we donate our own blood just in case we're hurt in the line of duty and need blood. Our infirmary is totally state of the art, the doctors there treat everything. They can even operate." Mac measured coffee into the basket of his coffee maker. 

Alex was genuinely intrigued, and he immediately figured out which way Mac was going with the plan. 

Mac went on explaining his thoughts while he poured water into his machine, "If I go to the infirmary, I'm sure I could snatch a bag of Victor's blood." Mac grinned at Alex while the coffee brewed, the aroma waking him up more, "Would that be enough? One pint." asked Mac. 

"Oh yeah." answered Alex enthusiastically, "More than enough. But can Victor spare it? What if he needs it or something?" Added Alex as an afterthought. 

"Don't worry, he's got at least 8 or 9 pints stored. He's a good agent with nine lives, he'll be okay. Besides we have the same blood type, so if something does happen, I'll donate to him too." Mac pulled out two large mugs and pulled the pot from machine. While pouring the dark brown brew out he said, "The thing is, I can't bring you with me. Everyone knows Victor is on a mission out of town. You could pass for him in a heart beat, but I think it would be safer for me to go in alone and grab the blood then meet you later at a private spot. The agency knows where you are and what my mission is. Getting caught might complicate things." 

Mac sipped his coffee, "You worry your boss will kill you? Mine's already shot at me before!" Mac smiled and drank from his mug again. 

Alex didn't know what to say to that so instead he asked, "Why are you doing this for me?" 

"Because, I owe you that much. Because I don't want to be responsible for the destruction of human kind. I don't want that on my conscience. Look how guilty drugging you made me feel!" Mac laughed out loud and Alex joined him. 

It had been a long time since Alex had laughed with another person. He drained his black coffee and held the mug out indicating more, saying, "Ok so how are you going to get it? And where do you want to meet? I don't think it's wise to go back to the motel room." 

When Alex had left the motel room earlier, he had packed up everything; lock, stock, and barrel, knowing that it wasn't safe to stay in one place too long, especially when his presence was already known. Alex had come to Mac's apartment royally pissed off about being caught off guard. Truth was, Alex had become complacent, over confident with his abilities to smell a trap. 

The younger man's little scheme had served Alex well; as a jarring wake-up call. 

Mac refilled his own mug, leaned forward on his elbows and said, "Okay, here's what I'll do...." 

* * *

**Shadowy Government Agency  
11:00 am**

Mac stole down the halls of the agency with a stealth that he had learned as a child. 

_Once a thief always a thief._

Mac's adopted father used to say. He smiled to himself, his real dad would have been proud of his long remembered skills too. He was trying to avoid running into any one, he did not want to have to explain away his presence on a Sunday morning. And just about anyone could be roaming the silent halls of the agency, from Nathan to the Cleaners—The Director to Dobrinski, one or all could be here. Mac carefully avoided the cameras and with one last look around he slipped inside the doors to the infirmary. 

"Can I help you, Mac?" Asked Nora, the very pretty twenty something receptionist. 

Mac almost jumped out of his skin, "Hi." He said smoothly to Nora. "Where is every one?" 

"There's no one here but me." She said, flicking her eyelashes up at the agent. 

"No?" Mac saw an easy way into the blood stores room. 

"Are you looking for something in particular?" Questioned the openly flirting, over-infatuated girl. 

"I'm here to see you." Grinned Mac, turning on the charm. He reached over the desk and ran his index finger, feather light, over the back of Nora's hand. 

Nora watched Mac's fingers lightly caressing her wrist, "Really?" She asked, surprised Mac had even noticed her at all. 

"Yeah, I saw your pretty smile the last time I donated blood, but the Director said there was 'no fraternization allowed' with the other employees. I peeked at your work schedule, waited for the place to be empty and thought I would come by and see you." All of Mac's words were total bull shit, a convenient cover story that went well with any occasion, however, Nora bought it hook, line, and sinker. 

Nora had been watching Mac for several months now, every so often he and his partner Victor would come in to give blood or have a cut tended too, neither one of them ever looked twice at her, leading her to believe that they - particularly Mac, weren't interested. "Come on, let's go into the exam room one." Nora may have looked very sweet and innocent, but she most definitely was not. 

Thinking quickly that exam room four was right next door to the blood bank room, Mac interjected with, "Lock the main doors and let's go to room four." When Nora looked at him questionably but he added hastily, "It's got a bigger bed." He didn't relish fucking this girl, pretty as she was; but he'd had to do worse things in his life. Mac figured he could pull it off with Nora convincingly enough. 

_Besides, Alex and Victor are more important._

Nora flipped a 'back in 30 minutes' sign over, locked the door and followed Mac down the hall. Poor girl had no idea that Mac was just using her. Fortunately the handsome agent was savvy enough to make Nora think that _though they had a great time, it would never work between them, seeing as how they were from two different worlds_. 

_Or something like that._

Mac held the door to room four open for Nora and then followed her in, shutting and locking it behind himself. 

* * *

**20 Minutes later**

Mac waited until he heard the door 'click' shut to the co-ed bathrooms before he jumped up off of the small bed and dressed quickly. He opened the door that led out of room four and peeked back and forth, while Nora was still in the bathroom washing up. He pulled a lock pick out of his back pocket and set to work unlocking the blood bank's door. The task was easily accomplished, no one at the agency had any reason to believe that an agent's blood was in danger. 

Mac pushed the door open and shut it softly behind himself. He examined the shelves and saw that the padlocked wire baskets were lined up on the shelves in alphabetical order. Mac found the _M's_ with no problem and efficiently located Victor's blood stores. The bins, which resembled a flip top picnic basket, luckily did not have combination locks, but key operated ones. Which would make more sense considering that keeping track of hundreds of different sets of numbers would be a logistical nightmare, opposed to 'one key fits all' type of mentality. Mac adeptly picked that lock too. He pulled a canvass shopping bag, bearing the logo of his usual supermarket out of the pocket of the wind breaker that he was wearing. 

First Mac searched the date labels on all of the units of Victor's blood, then he selected the oldest pint of all, figuring no one would remember the date that the pint was drawn from six months ago. He carefully placed the blood in the bag, wrapped it up tightly and placed in a large pocket on the inside of his jacket; worn for this particular purpose. Mac replaced everything exactly as he had found it, opened the door a crack and peeked out. 

Seeing that he had a clear path out, Mac re-locked the door, and quickly went down the hall and out the main doors of the infirmary. Nora would notice, of course, that he had gone without so much as a goodbye. But Mac would be sure to send her some tulips or daisy's or some other kind of simple flower—women loved uncomplicated flowers—with a card apologizing for leaving, but that he had received an urgent page from the Director. Nora would forgive his slight because she knew all of the Directors and their demanding behavior, so she would, of course, buy that story. 

Satisfied that Nora's feelings would not be hurt by his charade, Mac headed for the pre-determined meeting with Alex. He was anxious to see Alex one more time before they had to part for good. 

* * *

**Somewhere in the great Canadian outdoors**

Mac turned left off of the highway and followed a small gravel road for about twenty kilometers through the woods, until the large trees finally parted and he came to a stop at a small grassy, wildflower covered meadow. 

Alex was there already, very sexily laying on the hood of his rented car, arm tucked behind his head—the prosthetic no where to be seen—and ankles crossed, looking very much like he was sun tanning. If it were only a sunny day. Actually the sky was dark gray and over cast, rain threatened to spill at any moment, yet Alex lay there peacefully, leather jacket under his head balled up into a make shift pillow. 

Mac couldn't help but smile at the sight of the Russian agent who seemed carefree and who, at that very moment looked so much like Victor it was eerie. If both men were to lay side by side sleeping and if someone took a photograph, Mac thought that even they wouldn't be able to tell who was who. It was when both men were relaxed they resembled each other the most. Or so Mac thought. 

Alex had, of course, woken when he heard the engine of Mac's car, when it was still several kilometers away. The day was peaceful and quiet. And Alex, used to sleeping lightly, saw no harm in catching a small cat nap in the privacy of the serene glade. He grinned inwardly to himself, knowing that Mac was standing at the front of the car that he was laying on and watching him sleep. 

_Picking out the similarities and the differences of us, no doubt._

Alex suddenly popped his eyes open and said softly, "Boo." 

Mac jolted slightly when Alex spoke, then grinned. He should have known that he wouldn't really be able to catch the agent unaware again. Mac unzipped his jacket and reached inside, pulling out the canvass bag. He unraveled it and then held it open, out to Alex. 

Alex raised his eyebrows, and reaching in took out the unit of blood. 

Despite trusting Mac, Alex still read the label on the deep crimson pint of blood, he turned the pint over a few times, looking for any sort of label tampering, even though he knew that Mac had no reason to not bring Victor's blood. 

Convinced of its authenticity, Alex opened his car door and carefully tucked the precious bundle into a well-cushioned Styrofoam cooler. He slammed the door shut and turned around to face Mac, leaning casually against the door he said, "I can't thank you enough, Mac. You don't know what it means to me to have my brother's... blood..." Alex faltered, unable to finish his sentence; a wistful expression settled over his sad face. 

Mac could tell that Alex was yearning for his brother, to see his own flesh and blood. "If you want to hang around another day or so I could arrange a meet between you and Victor." Offered Mac. "I know he would want to know about you, Alex. In fact I don't think that I can keep something like this from him. He's my best friend, my partner. I don't care what the Director says, he has a right to know who you are." Mac looked at Alex expectantly, waiting for the permission from the Russian, to tell Victor about his only living brother. 

"You can't do that Mac." Alex saw the young agent shake his head in disagreement, Alex went on, trying to make him see the sense of his argument. "If you tell him now, all he'll think about is me and the lies he was told. He won't have his mind on his job, and in your particular line of work, you need to keep your wits about you. Right? Besides, it's too dangerous for Victor right now, there are a lot of people out there who want to kill me, or worse. One way to bring me down is to hurt Victor. The Consortium that I'm fighting against plays dirty. No one is sacred or safe from them. The less my brother knows the better." Explained Alex. 

Mac relented, and nodded his head, seeing the truth for what it was. 

"I promise, Mac, when the time's right I'll come for Victor myself and tell him everything." He walked over to the front of the generic car that he had rented and stood in front of Mac. "It's best for Victor that he doesn't know about..." Alex hesitated for a second, trying to find the right word, "...about 'stuff' just yet." 

Mac assumed that by 'stuff' Alex meant not only the part about Victor and Alex being brothers and that whole story, but the parts about the impending alien colonization and the conspiracy to cover it up as well. Mac would, reluctantly, keep Alex's secret. Not because the Director ordered him too, but because Alex 'asked' him too. 

"If Victor finds out I knew and didn't tell him, he'll never forgive me. That's a high price to pay, Alex. But I'm willing to pay it if you promise to let him know someday..." 

Alex stepped closer to Mac so that they were chest to chest, he slowly bumped the taller man backwards until his ass rested on the hood of the car. He grasped Mac behind the neck with his hand, and looking directly into his eyes pledged solemnly, "I promise you won't end up the bad guy in all of this. The last thing I want to do is hurt either one of you." Then, as if to seal the promise, Alex pulled Mac's head down and met his lips. He gently rubbed his lips across Mac's and then delicately pried the other man's large sensuous mouth open and seductively probed with the tip of his tongue. 

Melting into the touch of Alex's mouth, Mac automatically reciprocated and met the invading tongue with his own. Soon, the kiss progressed from slow and easy to frantic and frenetic. 

Alex let go of Mac and deftly with only one hand to aid him, unbuckled Mac's belt, undid the button and pulled down the zipper to Mac's pants and reached in to grasp the already erect cock of the agent. 

Mac moaned into Alex's mouth and thrust his hips forward. 

Alex stroked Mac's hard penis from root to tip a few times, then let go - despite Mac's protests—to fish a condom out of his front jeans pocket. He displayed the small silver packet to the agent, wiggled his eyebrows and then tore open the foil in much the same manner the last time he and Mac had been together. First he pushed down Mac's pants and underwear, then he placed the latex condom between his lips—like he had done previously—and knelt before the man. Alex worked the tip over the head of Mac's cock then unrolled the rest of the rubber over the length of the moaning man by using his lips alone, in a practiced manner he knew so very well. 

Mac gripped the metal hood on either side of his hips as he leaned back and spread his legs, marveling in the wonder of it all; sex with Victor's twin in a beautiful meadow. Mac, remembering that Alex didn't like to be touched during sex, or at least while giving a blow job, concentrated on keeping his hands on the hood of the car, wanting nothing more than to run his fingers through the Russian's silky head of chestnut brown hair. 

As if reading the agent's mind, Alex stopped what he was doing and waited for Mac to look down at him, which took only about two seconds, "You can touch if you like Mac." He said hoarsely up to him, a devilish grin playing around the corners of his mouth. 

Mac looked deeply into Alex's green eyes and saw that his pupils were large with dilation, his cock bounced at the sight of the gorgeous man kneeling before him, and licking his lips reached out and twined his fingers into Alex's hair. 

It was as soft and silken as he had imagined. 

Alex grabbed Mac's firm left ass cheek with his hand and squeezing it tightly beneath his fingers, went back to working his magic on Mac's cock with nothing but his mouth. 

Mac gently pushed the back of Alex's head faster and faster, and before he knew it, and way too soon, Mac was cumming, filling up the reservoir tip of the condom and then some with his creamy white jism. 

Alex stood after Mac had stopped thrusting his hips, and followed the same routine of the other night by removing the condom and tossing the used latex into the thick under brush, heedless of the fact that he was littering up the countryside. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Alex looked at Mac, his eyes veiled by the dark fringe of long, lush lashes, "My turn. What would you say If I asked if I could fuck you?" He asked lewdly. 

Mac responded with an immediate, whispery, "Yes." He couldn't believe that he had just agreed to being fucked up the ass. It had been years since another male had made love to him in such a way. He had done a few guys _that way_ , but Mac further shocked himself by the simple fact that he was looking forward to it too. 

Alex fished around in his pocket and pulled out another unlubricated condom. "Sorry Mac, but I don't have any lube, maybe you should just blow me instead." Alex was disappointed by the prospect of not being able make love to Mac, but on the other hand he didn't want to hurt his lover either. 

Reaching out Mac grasped the packet from Alex's grip, "Don't worry, I can take it." He said suggestively, Mac placed the unopened foil wrapper beside him self on the hood of the car, while he took his own turn and slowly undressed the Russian from the waist down. Once he had the lower half of Alex nude, Mac felt around for the condom and used his pearly white teeth to open up the latex. Mac having none of Alex's finesse for putting on a condom simply fell to his knees and unrolled it using one hand. Once Alex's cock was fully encased, he followed his hand with his mouth, wetting as much of the latex as he could. 

Alex used his hand to push Mac's mouth further and faster up his hard cock. He stopped Mac's ministrations and pulled the kneeling man to his feet and had him strip off his shoes, socks and pants. 

The sky had finally quit threatening, fulfilling its promise by finally opening up and spilling a soft cool rain over the two men clad only in T-shirts. Alex pulled Mac to him and kissed the man once more deeply, then he pulled away and gently turned Mac around so that he was facing towards the car. Alex ran his hand down Mac's finely muscled right arm, and used his teeth to gently nip at Mac's left shoulder blade through the filmy wet material of the shirt. Alex's own plain cotton T-shirt clung to him with wetness, his brown nipples showing through. He placed his foot between Mac's ankles and gently pushed his legs apart until he was satisfied with the distance between them. Mac was now leaning over the hood of the car, looking very much like a suspect who was about to be frisked roadside by a cop. 

Alex gathered a mouth full of thick spit, but instead of spitting it into his hand, he brought his palm right up to his mouth and quietly dropped the liquid from between his slightly parted lips. He rubbed the fluid over his sensitive, erect cock, "Are you ready for this?" he asked, giving Mac one last chance to back out. 

Mac made no reply, he simply nodded his consent. 

Alex held onto himself and guided the head of his penis into Mac's tight bud. 

He stopped to give Mac time to adjust to the invasion, he could tell with the tightness of the opening that Mac had not been screwed in this manner for quite some time. Alex waited until his lover told him he was ready to go on; Mac did that by pushing his ass back against him. Then slowly, ever so carefully, Alex plunged in his entire length in, agonizing inch by agonizing inch. 

Mac breathed heavily, sucking air in through his nose and exhaling by mouth, welcoming the invasion, welcoming the burning pain that went with it. 

Alex Krycek may have been a rough and rugged man, but he was a considerate and gentle lover. The opposing traits being just two of the many puzzling secrets that made Krycek the man he was. 

Mac thrust him self back against Alex's hardness once more, wanting, wishing and waiting for what would come next. 

At first, Alex moved his hips slowly then he gradually increased the tempo a notch every few thrusts. Successfully drawing Mac away from the pain and into the pleasure part of the lovemaking. The triple agent knew just the right spot to rub, so he dragged the end of his cock over the sensitive walnut sized gland in Mac's ass, again and again. Causing Mac to groan and murmur his pleasure. A few more thrusts into the agent's extremely tight depths and Alex was ready to cum himself. He reached around and gripped Mac's erection, stroking it in time to his own gyrating hips. With in seconds, Alex brought Mac off to another nut-splitting orgasm, which in turn sent Alex over the edge into an orgasm that left him feeling Jell-O-limbed and positive that he had pumped a litre` of cum into the condom that covered his dick. Which was still buried up Mac's ass. 

Mac sighed his pleasure and slumped forward, his energy spent over a meeting that he knew he would never forget. Alex Krycek had imprinted him for life. Mac turned his head and captured Alex's mouth with his own, both men kissing while still connected. The rain drops kept falling; enveloping them like an early morning dew. 

Neither one wanted the encounter to end, both knew that it had to. 

* * *

**The Director's office  
Monday Morning 10:00 am**

Mac entered the Director's office, not quite knowing what to expect. He had written and filed a false report with the Director the night before, only hours after having sex with his partner's identical brother. 

_Twin? Quadruplet?_

The mind games that little scenario conjured up were endless. Mac felt that he had done the right thing by lying to the Director about the real reasons Krycek was in town. He had made up a perfectly plausible lie about the Russian agent waiting for an arms dealer to come to the city for a pre-arranged meet, but then the dealer never showed so he left town again. She had read the report then and there, right in front of Mac, then tossed it onto a pile when she had finished it, onto her cluttered desk top. 

Steepling her fingers beneath her perfect little chin, the Director once again warned Mac about telling Victor anything about the 'little mission' He had been sent on. 

He had following up her threats with the customary, "Ya, ya, I know." 

Mac strolled in the office and plopped himself down between Victor and Li Ann, who were separated by the empty chair between them. Neither one was bothering to talk to the other. 

"Hey guys." He greeted, rather cheery for a guy who had missed out on a three day Vacation in the Bahamas. 

Victor scowled at Li Ann and then turned his attention to Mac, "Hey man. How was your weekend? Hope it was better than mine." Griped Victor to his male partner. 

"What's the matter?" Asked Mac curiously "Didn't you three have a good time on the Islands?" Mac was surprised, he thought for sure all that sunshine and surf would have been great fun. 

Victor shook his head ignoring the dirty look Li Ann was throwing his way, "You would have _thought_ the Islands would be great, but nooo...between Li Ann and Jackie and all their petty bickering and arguing...God it drove me crazy!" 

Li Ann tossed in a quick, "Oh? And you and Mac never squabble? Bah! You two drive me nuts all the time!" She crossed her arms and turned away from the two men, not even bothering to greet Mac. 

Victor scowled at the back of Li Ann's leather chair, "We never carried on like you two did! Honestly Mac...." Vic said to the man sitting next to him, "...they never agreed on anything! Agghhh, I'm through working alone with them! Do me a favor, Mac?" asked Victor. 

"What?" Queried the younger agent, smiling at his partner's frustration with the women. 

"Do not leave me alone with those two ever again. Got it?" Victor shook his head in disgust and rubbed at the back of his neck, "Let's go for a beer after the briefing and I'll tell you all about it." He didn't even wait for his partner to respond to his invitation to a beer, he knew that Mac would want to go for one. "My weekend sucked. How was yours? It had to be better than mine, right?" 

Mac smiled to his partner and then said evenly, "Nahhh, it sucked too, Vic." Grinning inwardly at the double entendre`, "It really did." 

* * *

JULY 2000   
PAIRINGS: AK/MR   
RATING: NC-17 for _extremely_ disturbing content.   
SPOILERS: to be safe, the entire O.A.T season and all of X-files up to the movie.   
NOTES: This is the net debut of this long story, which was written just over two years ago now, for the fabulous Bernice and her Zine, 'Co-Horts 5'. It features Alex Krycek and Mac Ramsey. This is a totally AU story, which means I made up everything, from how long blood can be safely stored for, to the use of a 'truth serum' drug. It's just easier that way.   
DISCLAIMERS: No money was made from writing this story; which was created for entertainment purposes only. No infringements on copyrights held is intended. X-Files and all concerned characters belong to the surfer _God_ himself,Chris Carter...and 1013 productions. Anything O.A.T belongs to Alliance Television and NDG productions. Any un-familiar character is mine.   
NOTES II: I would like to thank Bernice for doing the edit/beta on this story. Her wisdom was and is, invaluable. Special thanks go to Ursula, Sarah and Lexi for reading this and providing feedback. You're the best!   
DEDICATION: For Sarah.... "parting is such sweet sorrow." Good luck in Fla.   
  
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